My soul yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs for you.
When your judgments come upon the earth,
the people of the world learn righteousness. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.” How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!” All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time. My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.” Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all. Defend the weak and the fatherless;
uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.